I still have these mixed feelings about Vietnam until now. But as we all know, a worst day in traveling is still better than a worst day in job. Traveling in Vietnam is just amazing however confusing. Living here is another thing. This is the first foreign country I lived in, and it is a totally different world for me. There are just things that you don’t have to understand, and I am not only talking about the language - lifestyle, way of doing things, young and old people, everyday routine etc. Take it or leave it. Five months of ups and downs, work, play, love, food, coffee and beach life.
Beach life. What could be better than this.
I know that Vietnam does not have the best beach in the world, but for me, a beach is a beach. SSS – Sun, Sand, Saltwater. After spending glorious weeks in this humble town of Vung tau, I moved alone in this bigger city called Nha trang seeking a new adventure while enduring the 300+ km long distance relationship with Mosquito man.
My varied career now included a stint as a waitress, / secretary / graphics designer in this French Wine bar, thanks to my crazy French boss for teaching me all about these wines, giving me a bit of instant sophistication points minus stupidity. Now I know that if someone’s opening a bottle of red wine, it won’t make me cringe, or now I know which glass to use for champagne. I can say now that the Red wine from Chile is the best. Would you like to have a glass or a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon with that?
Nha Trang City is bigger, more touristy and has a nicer beach compared to Vung tau. My friend call this little Russia, with all the Russian writings, travel agencies, bars and shops, all to cater for the Russian tourists. I will never forget that famous Sheraton hotel, serving as my landmark as I walked back to my guesthouse from work. And those nights when I take a long detour to walk along the shore just to feel the sand and hear the sound of the waves before I sleep. One of the best walks ever.
Nha trang is the local life. Amidst the high-rise hotels, resorts, Russian businesses and bars, you’ll still find street coffee shop, cheap beers, street food and the famous Vietnamese noodle soup “Pho” around the corner. If you know where to find these you can live very cheaply in this city. Thanks to the nice locals I became friends with during my stay here, they taught me how to live the local life.
It would have been easier if I have a motorbike, and I could have easily explored the whole Nha Trang in a day. Though I've learned how to ride a scooter in Bali, my confidence had gone down after seeing motorbike accidents, which seemed like a normal scene on the road. So I borrowed a friend’s bike. I knew that I have never really ridden a bicycle for a long time on the road and this is one of my weaknesses unfortunately. I gave it a chance like someone riding a bicycle for the first time. Panicking after seeing that truck behind me just resulted to a now forever scar on my right knee.
Halloween was just ignored by the locals, probably their most uncelebrated time of the year. I was the emcee of the show as sexy Wednesday. Locals came in the bar in their normal outfit watching in amazement all these foreigners dressed up in their craziest costumes. Which by the way have gone too far after witnessing one of the folks dressed up as Hitler or those Russian girls wearing Nazi nurses costumes, inside the wine bar of French people. Sigh… HalloViet!
My career as an all-around employee came to an end, and left me bumming around the beach for a month. My routine consisted of grabbing my favorite Vietnamese baguette for breakfast, sitting on a low plastic chair in a street coffee shop, taking an enjoyable 4 km walk to my favorite vegetarian restaurant, sleeping on the beach in the afternoon and having occasional meet ups with Vietnamese friends.
Oh Nha Trang, you will be missed.
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